Golden Hurricane Men’s Hoops Set for Rivalry Game at Wichita State

GAME #26: Tulsa (13-12, 4-9 AAC) at Wichita State (10-16, 2-11 AAC)
Date/Time:	Wednesday • February 21, 2024 • 8:00 p.m. (CT)
Site:	Charles Koch Arena (10,506) • Wichita, Kan.
Coaches:	Tulsa – Eric Konkol (Wisconsin-Eau Claire, '00), 2nd Season Wichita State – Paul Mills (Texas A&M '96), 1st Season
TV:	ESPNU \| Jordan Bernfield (PxP) and Perry Clark (Analyst)
Radio:	Big Country 99.5 FM / Varsity Sports App (Bruce Howard & JR Rollo)
Live Stats:	Live Stats
Series:	142nd Meeting \| Wichita State leads 77-64
Twitter:	@TUMBasketball \| @TulsaHurricane
Instagram:	TulsaMBasketball
Game Notes:	Tulsa (PDF) \| Wichita State (PDF)

WICHITA, Kan. –– The University of Tulsa men's basketball team is heading north up I-35 as the Golden Hurricane and Wichita State Shockers are set for a nationally televised rematch in Charles Koch Arena on Wednesday evening.

Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. and will air on ESPNU with Jordan Bernfield and Perry Clark bringing fans the action. TU fans can also catch the game on Big Country 99.5 FM and the Varsity Network app. Bruce Howard and JR Rollo have the call.

Tulsa (13-12, 4-9 The American) and Wichita State (10-16, 2-11 The American) meet for the 142nd time ever and second this season. Wichita State leads the series 77-64, but it was the Hurricane who came out on top 79-68 in the late January meeting in the Donald W. Reynolds Center. TU trailed by 11 at the break but outscored the visiting Shockers 47-25 in the second half, pulling away late to secure the big win. The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for Tulsa in the series.

The Hurricane is 23-43 all-time in Wichita and is seeking its first win there since Dec. 8, 2001. The Shockers have won 11-straight in Wichita against Tulsa, with 10 wins coming at Charles Koch and another at INTRUST Bank Arena.

TU is coming off a much-needed win against the Rice Owls at home on Saturday afternoon. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak and gave Tulsa the regular season sweep against Rice. Freshman PJ Haggerty was a stats stuffer in the win, picking up his first career double-double with 30 points and 10 rebounds, both personal bests. He also added six assists and two steals, which played a part in him picking up his 11th The American Freshman of the Week award.

Three other Hurricane scored in double figures, including Jared Garcia, who added 14. It was the ninth time this season the junior forward has scored 10 or more points, and Tulsa is 8-1 in those instances. TU has success when he shoots efficiently from the field, going 7-1 when Garcia hits above 50 percent from the floor.

Wichita State's record betrays a competitive team who goes into Wednesday seeking revenge and the end of a three-game skid. The Shockers have gone 1-4 since losing in the Reynolds Center with its lone win coming In blowout fashion, dispatching UTSA by 20. In its losses, WSU has been competitive. The Shockers saw a late lead slip away for the second game in a row when Memphis came back to knock them off 85-83. After taking care of UTSA, Wichita State took a ranked FAU into overtime before falling. Back-to-back losses at ECU and Charlotte followed, with the Shockers being as close as six in the closing minutes against the 49ers.

Colby Rogers leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.5 points per contest. He saw his 25-game streak of hitting at least one 3-pointer come to an end with the recent loss to Charlotte, yet continues to lead the team and conference with 68 made from deep. Xavier Bell (12.0) and Harlond Beverly (10.4) are the two other Shockers to average double figures in scoring. Beverly has given Wichita State a boost of late, scoring in double digits in six of the past nine games while shooting 47 percent from the floor in that stretch.

Following Wednesday's ballgame, the Golden Hurricane will return to the Reynolds Center to prepare for a Saturday evening rematch with Charlotte. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and will air on ESPN+.

Golden Hurricane Men’s Hoops Set for Rivalry Game at Wichita State

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Players Mentioned

Jared Garcia

PJ Haggerty